This specification generally relates to computer software systems and methods, in particular, systems and methods for adapting a contact frequency within a social networking service.
Computers and mobile devices, such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants, have become increasingly interconnected due to the widespread availability of wired and wireless connections to communications networks such as the Internet. Even in the earliest days of the ARPANET, users took advantage of such interconnectivity to communicate with one another through early forms of email. As email grew in availability and popularity, email “lists” became a popular tool for broadcasting messages to predefined groups of recipients. World wide web based discussion groups (i.e., also known as clubs) have also provided a way for groups of people to associate around a topic. Through the use of web server programming, the idea of discussion groups and discussion threads has been extended to provide users with the ability to subscribe to secured discussion forums that are, in some cases, moderated by other users.
Another variant of Internet based communication forums are the web-based “social network” applications, in which a number of users are able to find each others' accounts and voluntarily become “friends” or “followers” of each other's posted messages. Users generally post brief messages about their status, mood, activities, and such, and their friends and followers can read and optionally reply to those messages. As such, friends may stay abreast of each other's′ activities as a tool for maintaining their social bonds.
Other social networking services have developed to connect users with other users of the social networking service (e.g., friends or friends-of-friends). An example social networking service enables users to post questions to be answered by other users. For example, a user can submit questions via a website, email or instant messenger and the social networking service identifies and facilitates a live chat or email conversation with one or more topic experts in the user's extended social network. The frequency at which a user is requested to provide a response to a question can influence the user's desire to participate in the social networking service.